Driving
in Croatia can be amazingly convenient or utterly nerve-wracking.
Should you rent
a car in Croatia? I'm frequently asked this question
and the answer is . . .it depends. (See more details on Croatia
car rentals or find out about driving
to Croatia.) Consider the following factors:

Traffic

Traffic
in Croatia can be congested in the summer and on warm
weekends especially to and from the coast. Getting to the Croatian
coast from Zagreb has gotten easier with the opening
of the Zagreb-Split motorway that cuts travel time between
the two cities to about four hours. The original plan was to run the highway as far south as Dubrovnik but the funding dried up and construction has been put on hold.

Meanwhile, you'll be on the two-lane, scenic coastal road where passing on hairpin turns appears
to be a national sport. Keep in mind the rules
for driving in Croatia.

Cost

Taking a car aboard a ferry
can be expensive, at least in comparison to hopping
aboard as a foot passenger. Also, you'll need to reserve in advance
in high season for ferries to the islands and show up hours in advance.
See more about getting around Croatia
by ferry.

The price of fuel
is about 8Kn/litre for standard unleaded and there are tolls
on all the motorways (autocesta). From Zagreb to Zadar the
toll is 109Kn; from Zagreb to Rijeka about 56Kn.

Rules

Permitted blood alcohol level is 0.05%. Police routinely
spot-check motorists for drinking and driving and will administer
breath-analyzer tests at even the most minor accident. Drivers who
refuse to submit to a breath-analyzer are automatically presumed
to have admitted to driving while intoxicated. In case of accidents
resulting in death or serious injury, Croatian law requires police
to take blood samples to test blood alcohol levels. See more on Croatian
road rules.

Why rent a car

On the plus side, you
obviously have more freedom to get up and go when
you have your own wheels and it's easier and cheaper to find accommodation
in out of the way places that are only accessible by car.

Also, if you plan to explore
islands in depth, you'll really want your own wheels rather
than depending on public transportation. Unlike the rest of Croatia
where modern buses link all the towns, buses on the islands
are slow and infrequent. See more on taking buses
in Croatia.

If you do decide to go with a car rental, you'll
find that most major car rental companies have outlets in Croatia
or in Trieste, Italy, a popular jumping-off point
for a Croatian holiday but you can often get much better deals online.